Now in its fifth season, the ratings giant moved to New York City, featuring 17 up-and-coming chefs from around the world. Tonya is the only feline competitor.

“I was a little skeptical at first,” host and judge Padma Lakshmi said in the season’s first episode. “But once I tried her Tuna Tartar on bed of baby mixed greens with a side of haricot vert with a light raspberry-garlic glaze, I was sold. She is a big talent, so to speak.”

Viewers tuning in to see Tonya’s signature appetite have so far been disappointed.

“We were a little nervous about how Tonya might react in a kitchen full of the freshest meats and vegetables and some of the rarest spices in the world,” Lakshmi told fans on her blog.

The season has nearly completed filming, although only airing a few episodes so far, producers are mum about how far Tonya progresses in the competition.

“You’ll just have to keep tuning in. I can promise you that eventually, the dramatics will match Tonya in size and girth.”